THOUSANDS of people gathered in Germany today for demonstrations against the far right, following a meeting by extremists to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including German citizens, if they took power.

Protests were held in Potsdam, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock attended, and at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.

It followed a demonstration on Saturday in the western city of Duisburg.

Ms Baerbock said that she attended the demonstration as one of thousands of locals “who stand for democracy and against old and new fascism.”

Last week, media outlet Correctiv reported on the alleged far-right meeting in November, which it said was attended by figures from the extremist Identitarian Movement and the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD).

A prominent member of the Identitarian Movement, Austrian citizen Martin Sellner, presented his “remigration” vision for deportations.

Potsdam Mayor Mike Schubert said that “these plans are reminiscent of the darkest chapter of German history.”

AfD has sought to distance itself from the meeting, saying it had no organisational or financial links to the event, that members who attended did so in a purely personal capacity, and it was not responsible for what was discussed there.

The action has prompted some calls for Germany to consider seeking to ban the AfD.

But many of its opponents have spoken out against the idea, arguing that the process would be lengthy, that success is highly uncertain and that it could benefit the party by allowing it to portray itself as a victim.

The AfD is currently second in national polls, behind the mainstream centre-right opposition and ahead of the parties in Mr Scholz’s coalition.

Germany faces the European Parliament election in June and then state elections in September in three eastern regions where AfD is very strong.